Sustainable living comes to UI

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The University of Iowa is getting nearly $875,000 to create a sustainable living and learning community at a residence hall on the Iowa City campus.
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley announced the grant money Wednesday from the U.S. Department of Education. The money is to be used to pay for a pilot project Sustainability Living-Learning Community this fall at the Mayflower residence hall. The community will host up to 68 students.
According to the university website, students take the required course Introduction to Sustainability and have opportunities to “live green.” That includes working at a student garden and going on field trips.

Rhode Island is the First State to Adopt IGCC

Rhode Island is the first state to adopt the International Green Construction Code (IGCC). The Rhode Island Green Buildings Act identifies the IGCC as an equivalent standard in compliance with requirements that all public agency major facility projects be designed and constructed as green buildings. The Rules and Regulations to implement the Act take effect in October.

"It's very exciting to me as building code commissioner to see that we are the first," John P. Leyden, C.B.O., and Rhode Island State Building Code Commissioner said. "I think that we are very fortunate in being a smaller state in that we can move things along a little quicker than other states. We adopt the other I-Codes, and so it fits in nicely."

The IGCC applies to new and existing, traditional and high-performance commercial buildings. It includes ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Standard 189.1 as an alternative compliance requirement.

You can read the whole press release here.

Need to maintain your industry credentials? Earn continuing education credit at Greenbuild

Every year, Greenbuild is ripe with education opportunities, and this year is no different. With more than 100 concurrent on-site and off-site education sessions included in your full-conference registration and a host of other targeted education summits, LEED and Education Provider workshops and other opportunities, Greenbuild is the place to grow your green building knowledge – and earn your continuing education credits for LEED and other industry credentials.

Earn 1.5 GBCI CE hours for your LEED Professional Credentials with the following sessions, all of which are included in a full conference registration:

• 95 concurrent education sessions (session IDs beginning with RD, OR, GR, YL, BL or PL in the session catalog).
• 6 Master Series education sessions
• 16 Residential Summit sessions
• 15 off-site education sessions
• 18 Specialty Update sessions (1 GBCI CE hour each)

Purchasing the relevant packages can also get you access to the following sessions, all of which have been approved for GBCI CE hours:

• 20 green building tours
• 9 International Forum sessions
• 6 Affordable Housing Summit sessions

Earn 1.5 LEED-specific GBCI CE hours with eight concurrent education sessions (RD05, OR08, YL14, GR11, GR13, BL10, PL02 and PL10) and 12 special programs (OF01, OF03, OF15, SS01, SS02, SU07, SU10, SU22, SU24, SU29, SU31, SU33).

Before and after Greenbuild, USGBC will offer LEED workshops, which you can register to take advantage of while you're in Chicago. All USGBC LEED workshops being held at Greenbuild are worth at least 7 GBCI CE hours, with the exception of LEED 101 and LEED 201. HOMES 401 and REGREEN 251 are worth 14 GBCI CE hours. All CE hours earned from USGBC LEED workshops are LEED-specific, except for REGREEN 251.

LEED 101 and LEED 201 satisfy eligibility requirements for those planning to seek the LEED Green Associate credential. Education Provider workshops are all eligible for 4 GBCI CE hours.

Over 110 Greenbuild education sessions have been approved for at least 1.5 AIA HSW Learning Units. AIA HSW LUs are also available for Master Series education sessions, off-site education sessions, International Forum sessions, salons and more.

Earn 1.5 LA CES credit hours for over 100 of our sessions (the majority of which qualify for HSW credit). Greenbuild 2010 qualifies for BOMI International Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credit for RPA, FMA, and/or SMA graduates. CoreNet Global MCR designees will earn 16 continuing professional development (CPD) credits towards the renewal requirement for attending all three days of Greenbuild 2010. USGBC is a registered education program provider for the Interior Design Continuing Education Council (IDCEC). USGBC is currently applying to IDCEC for credit hour approval. Information regarding approval of those credit hours will be posted on the Greenbuild website by mid-October. USGBC is a registered education program provider for the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI). USGBC is currently applying to CSI for approval. Information regarding approval of those credit hours will be posted on the Greenbuild website by mid-October.

For more detail on sessions' CEU eligibility, visit www.greenbuildexpo.org/CEU.

Upcoming USGBC LEED Workshop in Omaha

Host: The Nebraska Flatwater Chapter
Topic: BD+C 251: Understanding Building Design + Construction LEED Rating Systems
Date: Thursday, September 30th, 2010
Time: 8am - 5:30pm
Location: National Park Service Building, (601 Riverfront Drive, Omaha, NE 68102-4226)
Download the event flier here: http://usgbcne.org/downloads/Flyer_1009-Workshop251.pdf

This official national USGBC-presented workshop introduces the credit intents, key elements, main requirements, and reference standards of the Green Building Design and Construction (BD+C) LEED rating systems. Workshop participants will gain a solid understanding of the core concepts and strategies of the following LEED rating systems: New Construction & Major Renovations (NC); Core & Shell (CS); and Schools ‐ supporting successful green construction projects.

This workshop addresses the needs of key stakeholders in new construction or major renovationprojects, including but not limited to architects, engineers, construction professionals, contractors,landscape architects, product manufacturers, and decision makers within the real estate, investment,and legal sectors who want to better understand specifics of the BD+C rating systems.

Learning Objectives: Recognize the unique aspects of the BD+C rating system family, and differences between each rating system (NC, CS, and Schools) within this rating family. • Identify the minimum program requirements for the BD+C rating systems. • Describe the goal, intent, and requirements of BD+C prerequisites and key credits. • Identify synergies between BD+C credits.• Plan for key considerations and requirements for the LEED certification process.

For more detailed course information and to register visit https://www.usgbc.org/CourseCatalog/coursedetail.aspx?ID=90003947

For all registration and workshop inquiries, contact LEEDeducation@usgbc.org or 1-800-795-1747.

Environment Omaha Final Draft

The final draft of the Environment Omaha document, a new environmental vision for the city, is now available online for review and comment at http://www.environmentomaha.com/

Green Homes Tour Pictures

Check out pictures of some of the homes included in this years Green Home Tour: http://www.greenomahacoalition.org/councils/design-and-construction/green-home-tour-2010/the-homes/.

New NPPD operations center opens in Norfolk, NE

NORFOLK, Neb. (KTIV) -- Under construction for the last year-and-a-half, a building with a lot of "power" opens in northeast Nebraska.

The land where the new NPPD operations center sits was actually acquired 17 years ago and has been in the works for 25 years. It's now it's become a reality. The 78,000 square foot, 20-million dollar facility combines all the staff and resources that used to be spread out in four buildings. Ron Ashe, NPPD CEO, said "with this new facility, the NPPD Board of Directors have made it clear that they recognize the value of Norfolk and Northeast Nebraska to our operations. They have provided the leadership to make this building the state-of-the-art interface between NPPD and the public that we serve."

The new operations center is NPPD's only "Green" facility. This LEED Gold facility touts high efficiency heating and cooling, recycled building materials, landscaping that requires little watering or fertilizer and specialized water runoff plans. There are also educational benefits to the campus with three wind turbines and the world's largest solar tracking system, known as a photovoltaic array. A product that is manufactured in Columbus, Nebraska. Gunter Harz, Sun Carrier Inc., said, "This array produces approximately 45 kilowatts and provides about ten percent of the energy needed for NPPD." Read the whole story at ktiv.com.

Where Are the World’s Greenest Buildings? Green Building Consultant Wants to Know

Researching his latest book, “The World’s Greenest Buildings,” sustainability consultant Jerry Yudelson, author of a dozen green building books, is turning to the design community to research the “best in class” performance of successful green buildings worldwide. Project participants can immediately access an online survey.

Yudelson and his co-author, Professor Ulf Meyer (currently teaching at the University of Nebraska), are asking for submissions of top-rated green projects (such as LEED® Platinum in the U.S.) worldwide that are willing to release at least a year’s worth of documented energy and water use. Projects must be at least 5,000 square meters (or 50,000 square feet) in floor area and have been completed no later than the beginning of 2004.

Read the whole article here, and fill out the survey to submit your project here.

Green Classes at Iowa Western Community College

Iowa Western Community will be providing free 1 1/2 to 2 hour classes on how to live more sustainably in daily life. These classes are for anyone who wants to take steps toward going green!

To register, please email mmancuso@iwcc.edu or call (712) 325-3448.

How to Live Green!
When: Thursday, October 7th from 3:00-5:00pmWhere: Iowa Western Community College, Council Bluffs (2700 College Rd.)

This class will give a general overview on how to live in a healthier and more environmentally friendly way. Topics will include purchasing eco-friendly products, better food choices, water conservation techniques, energy efficiency and practices to make your home and life more sustainable.

How to do a Home Energy Audit
When: Thursday, October 21st from 3:00-5:00pm
Where: Iowa Western Community College, Council Bluffs (2700 College Rd.)

Learn how to conduct a basic home energy audit before another cold long winter arrives. In this class, a qualified instructor will teach you how to perform an energy audit on your home. You will learn how to evaluate ways to improve energy efficiency, increase energy savings, lower heating costs and help the environment in the process. Improving the energy efficiency of a home can help lower greenhouse gases, the main cause for climate change.

Ground Breaking for YouthBuild Omaha's LEED-Certified Home

When: Tuesday, September 28th at 10:00am

Where: 2201 Fowler Ave.

YouthBuild Omaha, a local partnership between Goodwill Industries and Habitat for Humanity, will host a Ground Breaking event for a new high-efficiency, green home. The project is among the first LEED-certified homes in the Omaha area, and the first designed specifically for low-income families. The house will become a real-life learning laboratory for YouthBuild Omaha students, all of whom previously dropped out of high school. While building the house with trainers from Goodwill and Habitat, the students will gain new skills, learn about energy efficiency and sustainable design, and when not on the construction site, attend academic courses leading to a GED or high school diploma.

Habitat and Goodwill want to make the current plan into a replicable model for affordable green construction in Omaha. The current home is slated for completion in the spring of 2011, when YouthBuild Omaha students will then begin a study of the home's cost savings for the new homeowners.

YouthBuild Omaha and the LEED project are funded in part by the US Department of Labor. The architecture firm HDR has also been a critical partner in designing the home. Other partners include: Peter Kiewit Foundation, Wal-Mart and Lincoln Financial Foundation.

Greening Midwest Communities Conference

The USGBC St. Louis Regional Chapter is sponsoring an upcoming Greening Midwest Communities conference which will take place October 19-21st and focus on residential green building with strong stormwater management focus.

The early bird registration deadline for this conference at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Jefferson City, MO has been extended to this Friday, September 24.

For a low, low price of $125, you'll have access to 16 education sessions over 2 days as well as a tour of a deep energy rehab of a 1903 home! An excellent line of of speakers (including several Chapter members!) will cover the many aspects of community development and energy-efficient "green" home building and remodeling.

Speakers & topics include:
Steve Apfelbaum, Applied Ecological Services, Inc.
Michelle Desiderio, National Association of Home Builders Research Center
Phil Fingerhut, Builder Partnerships - Chapter Member!
Mike Mueller, St. Louis Carpenters District Council, Building & Construction Trades Council - Chapter Member!
Tom Schultz, Manager Utilization Engineering, Laclede Gas Co. - Chapter Member!
Don Thieman, Sales and Marketing Manager for Quick Supply Co. and A.S.P. Enterprises - Chapter Member!
Ruth Wallace, Missouri Department of Natural Resources Municipal Stormwater Program

For more information or to register, visit http://muconf.missouri.edu/gmcc/index.html

Habitat for Humanity & Goodwill Industries Join Forces to Build Affordable LEED-Certified Home

On 9/28/10 at 10:00 a.m., YouthBuild Omaha, a local partnership between Goodwill Industries and Habitat for Humanity, will host a Ground Breaking event for a new high-efficiency, green home. The project, located at 2201 Fowler Ave. in North Omaha, is among the first LEED-certified homes in the Omaha area, and the first designed specifically for low-income families.

More than a house, the project will become a real-life learning laboratory for YouthBuild Omaha students, all of whom previously dropped out of high school. While building the house with trainers from Goodwill and Habitat, the students will gain new skills, learn about energy efficiency and sustainable design, and when not on the construction site, attend academic courses leading to a GED or high school diploma.

“In YouthBuild Omaha, we learn by doing,” said Chad Garvis, the program coordinator. “We learn to work by working. We learn math by measuring angles and cutting plywood. And now we’ll learn responsibility by building a home that uses fewer materials, generates less waste, and saves energy. This LEED project epitomizes what YouthBuild Omaha is all about.”

This is the first LEED home built by Habitat and Goodwill, and leaders of the two organizations want to make the current plan into a replicable model for affordable green construction in Omaha. The current home is slated for completion in the spring of 2011, when YouthBuild Omaha students will then begin a study of the home’s cost savings for the new homeowners.

YouthBuild Omaha and the LEED project are funded in part by the US Department of Labor. The architecture firm HDR has also been a critical partner in designing the home. Other partners include: Peter Kiewit Foundation, Wal-Mart and Lincoln Financial Foundation.

Habitat Omaha homeowners are required to complete 350 hours of Sweat Equity before purchasing their homes through 25 or 30-year no-interest mortgages. Through Habitat Omaha, almost 350 families have realized the dream of homeownership and are ending the cycle of poverty for their children. In 2010, Habitat Omaha will build or renovate 26 homes.

“We’re excited to collaborate with Goodwill Industries on our first LEED project.” says Dan Brewer, Habitat Omaha’s construction manager. “It raises Habitat Omaha to the next level with energy efficiency while giving area youth experience in green building.”

Report Provides State-by-State Data on Renewable Energy Deployment

WASHINGTON—The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) has released a report that compiles state-by-state data on renewable energy developments, resource potentials, and financial, market, and policy information. According to this report, California leads the United States in renewable energy deployment. Louisiana ranks lowest among the states in grid-connected renewable power sources. Click here to access the interactive online map of renewable energy deployment data.

Growth in Green Building Expected to Drive Use of BIM

NEW YORK—The growth of the green building market is expected to drive adoption of building information modeling (BIM) software. According to a new report by McGraw-Hill Construction, only 17% of practitioners are currently using BIM in more than 50% of their green building projects. However, nearly 80% of survey respondents who aren't currently using BIM on green building projects expect to do so within three years. Read more

UNL to lead green-building research team

By KEVIN ABOUREZK / Lincoln Journal Star
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln will lead one of 15 teams of researchers charged by the federal government with improving the energy efficiency of millions of American homes.
The U.S. Department of Energy chose UNL to lead one of its 15 Building America teams.
"Energy security is essential for our future as a nation to become independent from other countries," said Prem S. Paul, UNL vice chancellor for research and economic development. "We also need to develop new sources of renewable energy. No single solution will solve this problem." Read more at the link above.

Drive for green homes hits area

via Omaha World Herald, By Jeffrey Robb WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

The drive for energy efficiency is hitting home in Omaha, Lincoln and around the Midlands.

Spurred by a desire to go green and save money on their utility bills, owners of existing homes and people building new houses are upgrading their homes' energy efficiency. Insulation is in, along with Energy Star appliances and higher-rated furnaces.

Now two major federally funded initiatives are giving local efforts a boost.
Wednesday, a partnership led by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers announced that it would team with Hearthstone Homes and other Omaha and Lincoln home builders to engineer practical but high-impact energy upgrades. The research initiative could be worth $2.5 million per year over the next 4½ years.

By early 2011, the Cities of Omaha and Lincoln plan to start rolling out a $10 million program to retrofit 3,200 homes in the two cities with new insulation, furnaces, appliances or even shade trees. In Omaha, the program will start by targeting a zone between 16th and 36th Streets, from Leavenworth to Lake Streets.Also in Omaha, a Green Neighborhood Council is operating. The Environment Omaha initiative, led by the City of Omaha and Omaha By Design, is looking at proposing building regulations to drop the energy use on new and existing homes. Read more at omaha.com.

Fundraiser for Omaha Green Home Tour

You’re invited to a Green Get-Together on Monday, Sept. 13 from 5 to 9 p.m. at Loft610 (Midtown Crossing: 220 South 31st Avenue #3107 in Omaha).

It’s a fundraiser for Omaha's 2010 Green Home Tour: buy 3 tickets for $5 or 7 tickets for $10, and redeem the tickets for custom-made martinis, wine or premium beer that night at Loft610, which has generously pledged to donate proceeds to the Green Home Tour. Enjoy an evening out for a good cause with the Green Omaha Coalition and partners. For more information about this event, contact Loft610 at (402) 885-6800.

Social Equity – USGBC Members Give Back

When USGBC member and Greenbuild Gold Sponsor Davis Construction realized their sponsorship afforded them more complimentary Greenbuild passes than they needed, they had an idea: Why not give them back?So with the innovation and ingenuity typical of the USGBC member community, they contacted USGBC with a proposal: They donated their unused passes to be given out through the Greenbuild Scholarship Program for low-income attendees. It's an idea that worked so well, we wanted to share it with you – in case you're a Greenbuild sponsor and want to do the same, or in case it inspires you to propose an idea of your own. You can contact USGBC Membership Director Troy Adkins if you do.

USGBC Expands Data Collection from LEED Buildings

August 25, 2010
By Peter Yost and Allyson Wendt - This article originally appeared on BuildingGreen.com

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has begun collecting energy- and water-use data from LEED-certified buildings, and is promising preliminary performance reports for building owners participating in its Building Performance Partnership (BPP) by November 2010.

In 2009 USGBC announced that buildings certified under LEED 2009 would be required share energy- and water-use data (see “New USGBC Initiative Targets Building Performance”). There has been much debate in recent years about whether LEED-certified buildings actually perform as well as their LEED designation suggests they should. BPP should bring a big expansion in the amount of data available, leading to richer and more reliable analysis in the future. “[BPP] is the foundation of USGBC’s commitment to a meaningful demonstration of the value of building and operating green,” says Scot Horst, senior vice president of LEED for USGBC. Brendan Owens, P.E., vice president for LEED technical development, adds that BPP is intended to help underachieving projects identify and fix performance problems. Read the whole article at this link.

LEED Study Group Forming (Omaha and Lincoln)

This group will focus on the BD+C rating system, and the chapter will provide study materials for interested participants. Meeting times will be dependant on participants' schedules. This study group is being facilitated by Brian Meyers of Davis Design and Sarah Gudeman of Morrissey Engineering, Inc. The group will plan our meeting locations to accommodate both Omaha and Lincoln participants.

Email brian.meyers@davisdesign.com if you're interested in participating. Professionals pursuing LEED AP and LEED GA credentials, or anyone wanting to gain a better understanding of the LEED rating system will benefit from this study group.